A Field Poll of registered California voters in late January/early February
found an overwhelming 71% support for Proposition 226. With results almost
identical to a Field Poll conducted last December, support for the ballot
initiative continues to be both bipartisan and strong among labor union
members.

Explaining the popularity of Proposition 226, pollster Mervyn Field said,
"A lot of voters don't buy into the idea of putting money into a pot
in which the rank and file don't get a say." Pointing out organized
labor's strong ties and penchant for giving to Democratic candidates and
causes, Field added that union members "want their dues spent on things
that will help them in organizing, wages and benefits. . . [They] aren't
necessarily sure that supporting Democratic causes are the way."

Teachers Union Commits Big Money to Defeat Initiative

By a unanimous vote, the California Teachers Association (CTA) State
Council recently voted in early February to spend $3 million of the union's
$11 million "Initiative Fund" on efforts to defeat Proposition
226. This is in addition to the $500,000 that has been transferred to the
CTA by the National Education Association for the same purpose.

According to the California-based Education Intelligence Agency's newsletter
Communiqué, "A grant this size so early in the campaign can
only mean the unions will spend a record amount, if necessary, to defeat
the measure."

The CTA State Council may allocate additional money to fund the anti-Proposition
226 campaign when they meet again in March.

Federal Funds Used Against Initiative

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) President William B. Gould IV,
the head of the government agency charged with interpreting and enforcing
federal labor law, publicly announced his opposition to Proposition 226.

During a February 4 speech in Sacramento, Gould declared, "As a
Californian voting by mail. . . I shall cast my ballot against [Proposition
226] because I think that it is designed to deny unions and working families
a voice in our society." A press release announcing Mr. Gould's opposition
to Proposition 226 was prepared by the NLRB staff and distributed over the
privately-operated PR Newswire service.

Mark Bucher, the co-chairman of the campaign to pass Proposition 226,
sent a memo to congressional supporters to ask them to question Mr. Gould
about his high-profile opposition against the Initiative and the "use
of government resources to wage a political battle against payroll protection."
He added, "For a federal government employee to use his official position
and taxpayer dollars to actively campaign against a proposed ballot measure
is an outrage that Mr. Gould should be required to justify."

Campaign Finance Factoids

Contribution Caps Make Running for Office Pursuit of the
Wealthy

Proposition 208, passed in 1996, set campaign contribution limits in
California so low it was recently declared unconstitutional by a federal
judge. Since Proposition 208 did not limit the use of personal wealth,
it has led to an unprecedented number of wealthy candidates running for
statewide office this year. According to Republican political consultant
Steve Merksamer, "A lot of very good candidates have decided to opt
out of the process because they can't compete financially." California
Democratic Party advisor Bob Mulholland adds, "It appears the demand
for campaign finance reform is actually pushing the political process to
more wealthier candidates."

Teachers Union Attempts to Buy School Board Elections

If you don't like your elected officials, just buy new ones. Unhappy
with the progress of contract negotiations with the trustees of the San
Diego Community College District, American Federation of Teachers Guild
Local 1931 put an ad in local publications seeking to recruit candidates
to replace them. According to Guild President Jim Mahler, "It's going
to be hard for us to support incumbent board members when we're still at
an impasse. So we're looking for new board members." Since the union
is often the heaviest campaign contributors in such races, Chancellor Augustine
P. Gallego warns, "When you have faculty unions selecting candidates
who will run for office, and the unions are the largest contributors to
campaigns, you may eventually create a governing body that is more responsive
to faculty union interests than the interests of students in the communities
we serve." Three of five board members are up for re-election this
year, and the union reports receiving " a couple dozen calls"
on the ads.

Political Money Monitor is published by The
National Center for Public Policy Research to provide information on campaign
finance and political choice issues. Coverage of an event or article in
Political Money Monitor does not imply endorsement by The National Center
for Public Policy Research. Copyright 1998 The National Center for Public
Policy Research. Reprints of articles in Political Money Monitor are permitted
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